Circuit-closer



C. W. SQUIRES.

CIRCUIT CLOSER.

- APPLICATION FILED APR. 2. 19!?- Patented May 25, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. SQUIRES, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS.

CIRCUIT-CLOSER.

Application filed April 2, 1917.

of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Circuit-Closers, of which the following is a speclfication.

My invention relates to a device which serves as a circuit closer and release and also as a means to lock the circuit when closed.

My invention will be understood by means of the drawings in which it is shown dlagrammatically.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the essential parts of my invention connected to produce the desired results.

Fig. 2 is a section of two of the magnets showing their construction and the manner of supporting the end of the contact lever.

My invention is an improvement'on a por' tion of the mechanism shown in my United States Patent No. 1,080,730, granted December 9, 1913, to which I refer for certain details of construction.

A is the trolley wire and B is the trolley. C is a contact rail, the construction of which is not shown in detail as it is fully described in the said patent. As in that patent, the

trolley wheel moves over this rail and out of contact for the moment with the trolley wire A. The only electric connection between the contact rail and thetrolley wire A on which it is mounted and from which it is insulated, is through the electro-magnet T (as in my said patent, see Fig. 14 thereof),

and the wires t and 1?, one of which t is connected directly with the trolley wire A, while the other is connected to the contact rail C with which the trolley wheel B contacts. The various mechanisms, except those mounted on the trolley wire A, are mounted on an insulating plate Y, preferably of slate, rectangular in shape but having a lateral projection y to receive the electro-magnet T and the parts associated with it.

When the circuit through the car is closed Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Serial No. 159,092.

from which wire 8 runs to one magnet of the track switch (not shown), which is a switch of well known. character.

This switch member S is connected by a link S with the armature lever T pivoted at t When coil T is energized the armature T is lifted and, by means of the link 8*, throws the switch member S from contact with S to contact S", which is connected by wire 8 with the other magnet in the track switch. As is well known, the energizing of these two magnets determines the position of the switch tongue, the purpose of the electro-magnet J being to hold the switch member S in contact with either S or S while the car is going over the switch. These parts and their operation are fully described in my said Letters Patent.

The objects to be attained by my present invention are as follows To close the track switch circuit automatically as the car passes the contact rail, and lock it against operation by the following car until the first car has passed the switch, and then to effect automatically the release of the parts so that they may return to their normal position again as soon as the car has-passed a given point represented in the drawings by the contact F.

Above the contact rail C is supported a lever a pivoted at a and hanging down in the path of the trolley wheel. The lever a is made of insulating material and carries a metal plate a which is connected by the wire 0 with the main wire C When the trolley wheel B passes over the contact rail C it strikes the plate a? and a circuit is closed from the trolley wire A through 25, T, t to the contactrail C and thence through the trolley Wheel to the platea wire 0 to wire C The contact between the trolley wheel'B and. the plate a is momentary, existing only as the trolley wheel passes over a portion of the rail and the lever falls back to its normal position, thus breaking the circuit again. It will be seen that this circuit will only be closed when the trolley wheel moves in a direction to strike the plate (1 The wire C is connected. with a solenoid D. G is a lever pivoted at g. This lever is made of insulating material, but has upon it two contact plates, one d and the other (5. The normal position of this lever (i is that shown at 1, where it rests upon the latch d which forms part of the core of the solenoid D. This core and the core of the similar solenoid K comprise three members each, a plug d (10) which closes one end of the opening through the solenoid D (K) and which is connected by wire (Z with the solenoid coil, next a spring member o (70 which engages the rear end of the latch d (10 and is electrically connected with both the plug and the core. The front end of the latch d (70 which forms the front member of the core, is beveled off in such manner that upon the pushing up of the lever G it will slip by the latch d (72 pushing it inward, and thereafter thelatch will be forced forward by the spring so that it may serve as a rest for the lever G. When this solenoid is energized by current through the wire C it will cause the retraction of the latch (Z so that the lever G will drop by gravity. When the lever G is resting upon the core (Z the circuit will be closed from it through the plate d on the lever G and thence to the ground H by wire it which is connected to the plate d. Upon the swinging of the lever a by the trolley wheel the circuit will be closed through C D, its latch d the plate (Z, wire it to ground H. The solenoid coil D being thus energized, withdraws the latch (Z thus breaking the circuit and at the same time allowing the lever G to drop. When the circuit is broken the spring 0Z returns the latch into place. It will thus be seen that this circuit can never be closed unless lever G is resting on latch d Below the lever G is a vertical solenoid E having a core E supporting at its upper end a nonmagnetic metal stud E which, when the solenoid is not energized, projects slightly above its upper surface and engages the plate (Z on the lever G when the lever G is in its second or lowest position. The solenoid E derives current from the trolley wire A by means of the wire C which leads to a point e where it divides, one wire 6 leading to the terminal 0 and the other 6 leading to the coil E. The other end of the coilis connected by the wire 2 to the core E and stud E The plate al attached to the lever G is connected by the wire 9 with one end of the coil J, the other end of which is connected, as above described, with one of the track switch magnets. When in its lowest position 2 the lever G rests on the end E of the core E The circuit being then completed from the trolley wire A by wire C through the solenoid E, its core E and its stud E plate al wire 5/ to coil J, etc., the core E is lifted because of the energizing of the solenoid E, and lifts the lever G into the position marked 3. To reach this position it snaps by the core d of the solenoid D and also by the core 711 of the solenoid K,

which is in all respects similar in construction to the solenoid D and is similarly lettered but with the letter is as indicated above, and rests on its latch L This causes the spring 9 which is mounted on the end of the lever G, to contact with the terminal 0 and close a circuit comprising the trolley wire A, wire C 0 to c, the spring 9 wire 9' plate al wire 9 to J and one of the arms of the switch S to the track switch. This short-circuits the solenoid E so that the core E is released and drops, leaving the lever G resting on the latch The coil J, however, is still energized, controlling the position of the track switch.

When the trolley B engages the releasing contact F a circuit is closed through wire C solenoid K, latch 75 plate a, wire 71 to the ground H. The solenoid lat thus being energized, its latch 70 is withdrawn and releasing the lever G, the lever drops into its normal position resting on the latch (Z and thus breaking the circuit through J, so that all the parts resume their normal positions.

It is believed that from the above description the operation of my device will be understood. The first result will he the setting of the track switch connection one way or the other according as the magnet T is energized or not. The second result will. be the energizing of the solenoid D by the entrance of the trolley into the section so that the lever G will be released and will drop from its normal position into position 2 and be immediately lifted to position 3 and be thereafter incapable of operation by a second car entering the switch section until the first car has left the section and the lever has been returned to its normal position.

During the operation of the device, the entry of another car into the switch area will not be effective to interfere with or change the circuit because the lever G will not be in position to be operated by the incoming trolley wheel.

A time limit device, such as is shown in my United States Patent No. 1,080,T30, or in my application, Serial No. 47,579, may be used with this instrument if desired. In this case it may be placed in circuit with the solenoid E, the connection a, 0 being omitted.

As other arrangements of circuits within the scope of my invention may be made to accomplish the same result, I do not mean to limit myself to the precise construction shown.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A normally-open electric circuit comprising a trolley wire and circuit-closing means comprising a trolley wheel and a pivoted contact member made of insulating material lying in the path of said trolley wheel and having means for electrical engagement therewith.

2. A normally-open electric circuit comprising a trolley wire and circuit-closing means comprising a trolley wheel and a piv oted contact member made of insulating ma terial lying in the path of said trolley wheel and having means for electrical en gagement therewith, said means being upon one side only of said contact member whereby the circuit will be closed only when the trolley wheel approaches said member from a predetermined side.

3. Anormally-open circuit comprising a trolley wire, a solenoid in said circuit and comprising a latch core adapted to be withdrawn on the closing of said circuit, a switch member normally resting on said latch out of operative position and when so resting forming part of said normally-open circuit, means for closing said circuit whereby said switch will be released, and means for moving said switch into operative position.

4. In an electric switch mechanism, a normally-open circuit, a solenoid therein, its core in circuit therewith, a switch member normally resting on said core and in circuit therewith, means for closing said circuit whereby said core will be withdrawn and said switch member be released, and means to move it thereafter into operative position.

5. In an electric switch mechanism, a normally-open circuit, a solenoid therein, its core in circuit therewith, a switch member normally resting on said core and in circuit therewith, means for closing said circuit whereby said core will be withdrawn and said switch member be released, and means to move it thereafter into operative position and hold it there.

6. In an electric switch mechanism, a normally-open circuit, a solenoid therein, its core in circuit therewith, a switch member normally resting on said core, means for closing said circuit whereby said core will be withdrawn and said switch member be released, means to move it thereafter into operative position and hold it there, and means thereafter to release it whereby it may return to its normal position.

7. In an electric switch mechanism, a normally-open circuit, a solenoid therein, its core in circuit therewith, a switch member normally resting on said core and in circuit therewith, means for closing said circuit whereby said core will be withdrawn and said switch member be released, and means i to move itthereafter into operative position, means for holding it in operative position and means comprising a normally-open circuit adapted when closed to operate said holding mechanism whereby said switch member may be released to its normal position.

8. A normally-open impulse circuit, a normally-open track switch-operating circuit, and a normally-open release circuit,

trolley-operated means to momentarily close said normally-open impulse circuit, means to close said normally-open track switch circuit, trolley-operated means to close said normally-open release circuit, means operable automatically by the track switch circuit while energized to render ineffective the impulse circuit, and means operable by the release circuit when energized to effect the opening of the track switch circuit and to return. the parts to their normal operat ing position.

9. A normallyopen impulse circuit, trollcy operated means to momentarily close said circuit, a track switch-operating circuit, a normally-open switch comprised therein, means operable when the impulse circuit is closed to effect the closing of said normally-open switch, automatic means operable to lock the track switch circuit in closed position, a normally-open release circuit, trolley-operated means to close said circuit, and magnetic means comprised in said release circuit whereby the said switch member may be returned to its normal open position.

10. The combination with a track switchoperating circuit, of a three-way switching member operable either to close said circuit, lock said circuit against operation by its normal circuit-closing means, or to close a circuit whereby it will be released to'be returned to its normal open position, trolley-operated means to cause said switch member to assume its closed osition, automatic means comprising a so enoid and its core operable with the track switch circuit to cause said switch member to assume its locked position, and magnetic means comprising a magnet and its armature operable by trolley contact to release the said switch member from its locked position to assume its normal operating position.

11. The combination with a trolley-operated circuit-closing means, of circuitopening means comprising a ground wire, a magnet coil, suitable connections and trolley-operated means adapted momentarily to energize said magnet coil.

12. A normally-open track switch circuit, trolley-operated means to close said circuit, means operable automatically with the energizing of the track switch circuit to lock said track switch circuit against the circuit closing means, and trolley-operated releasing means operable to effect the return of said locked circuit to its normal operating position.

'13. A normally-open track switchoperating circuit, trolley-operated means to close same, automatic means in said track switch circuit operable to disconnect the circuitclosing means, and a trolley-operated circuit-opening and unlocking means comprising a ground wire, a magnet coil, and suitable circuit conductors effective when energized to open the track switch circuit and return the parts to their normal position.

14. In a track switch mechanism for trolley cars, a normally-open circuit adapted when closed to maintain the position of the track switch and a circuit-closing mechanism for said maintaining circuit comprising means normally in non-closing position, means operable by a second circuit controllable by the trolley whereby said maintain ing circuit-closing means is released from its non-closing position, means adapted to move it from a non-closing to a closing position, and means adapted thereafter to release it wherebyit will return to its normal u position.

15. In a track switch mechanism for trol ley cars havlng a trolley wire, a normallyopen circuit comprising means to connect i trolled.

CHARLES W. SQUIRES. 

